Church History Timeline
42 Elton Avenue,
Barnet, Herts,
EN5 2EA
The complete Photographic Archives and Ministry Photo Galleries for Underhill Baptist Church are available on request
1936
1945
Rev F.J.Mason
Sep1945-Mar1951
1930
1935
T.E.Pickering
(Lay Pastor)
Jul1951-Dec1952
S.F.Feltham
(Student Pastor)
Jan1953-Apr1954
R.H.Meyer
Feb1956-Feb1959
J.A.Pollard
(Moderator)
Oct1959-Oct1961
R.M.Hale, B.D.
Oct1961-Feb1971
D.B.Morris, B.A.
(Student Pastor)
Oct1971-Oct1972
D.Hewitt
(Student Pastor)
Oct1972-Oct1973
G.Marlam
(Student Pastor)
Oct1973-Sept1974
Rev D.B.Morris,
B.A./B.D.
Sept1974-Oct1984
1986
1987
1988
E.Baldwin, B.A.
Aug1985-Jul1998
1998
1974
1977
1975
1984
2000
Rev Dick Prior
2000-2007
1998
2004
2006
2003
2007
2007
Rev Emmanuel
Ntusi 2009-2020
2013
2014
2012
2016
2020
2020
Rev Vania
John-Baptiste
2020-Jan 2023
King Charles III
Coronation Lunch
Underhill Baptist Church
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Another Web Site by YourLBwebs
2023
07/05/23
Site acquired by Mr C.W.B.Simmonds who presented it to Rev Noble
& the Deacons of High Barnet Baptist Church for the building of a
Church Hall for the people and particularly children in the Underhill Area.
Site Dedication Sunday afternoon
15th September 1935
The Church Hall was opened by
Mrs Simmonds 19th September
1936.
Sunday School 1937
The Church’s first Full-Time Minister is appointed with Services at 11.00am & 6.30pm.
In those days, Church was very much a family occasion, families were larger and certainly the Sunday School was.
There were no computers or mobile phones in those days but somehow the children survived! At the Church, there was
Boys Brigade, Girls Brigade and a Youth Club.
Choruses would be sung from Cards held up at the front and Hymns sung from
the “Golden bells” Hymn Book.
Over the years, we have moved on through the CSM Chorus book, The Baptist
Hymn Book, Youth Praise, Mission Praise, Junior Praise, our own Underhill
Chorus Book and onto our latest Songs Of Fellowship.
In the 60’s the Chorus Cards and Hymns were transferred onto Celluloid Sheets
and Projected onto a Screen using an Overhead Projector.
Newsletters and circulars were produced using a Gestetner Copying Machine
with a hand crank to move sheets through.
After a succession of Student Pastors from Spurgeons College between 1971-1974, David Morris returned to join us, fully trained, as our
Full-Time Pastor with Judy his wife.
“Look Backwards for encouragement and move Forwards in Faith”
…. to be continued
Rev David Morris was a young minister at his first church, an avid cricket enthusiast and always included
a childrens talk in the first part of his service. He was always supported by his wife Judy who played an active
part in our church life - as did their 3 children (Helen, Nicola & Tina) who came along in due course.
Thursday March 20th 1975 marked the start of a Healing Ministry when the
Deacons prayed over Mrs June Merchant (a Deacon at the time) and were
rewarded for their faith with healing for June.
The Small Hall with Kitchen was added in 1977 and, towards the end of Rev David’s ministry, was used
for worship (The large hall being used for activities and barn dances). The flat roof structure was
supposed to last 20-25years but is still serving us well in 2023!
After 10 years at Underhill Baptist Church, Rev David Morris left us to take up a post at his second church in Leeds and after a period of
intereggnum, Rev Eric Baldwin joined us with his wife Jenny and two girls in August 1985
Rev Eric Baldwin came to us a mature student from Spurgeons College, having previously had a job in
Computing which would be useful to him. His wife, Jenny was to play an active part in the church,
especially with the childrens groups. Their 2 girls (Rachel & Julia) were a welcome addition to our youth
group.
OASIS Team1 Jo Titterton (18), Dave Garlick (25), Nigel Martin (23)
OASIS Team2 Fiona Walker, Kate Schofield, Pete Thomas, Andy Taylor
OASIS Support Worker “Fiona McGheacin”
New Baptistry
After 13 years at Underhill Baptist Church, including 5 as a Regional Minister, Rev Eric Baldwin left us to take up a post at Rushmere
Baptist Church in Ipswich and and after a period of interregnum, Rev Dick Prior joined us with his wife Sue and two girls in January 2000
1st use of our New Baptistry
20th June 2000
Many hours of work in hot weather went into preparing the ground for a new Universal
Access Slope, then creating the garden.
70th Anniversary Flower Festival
With the advent of new technology, access to a church laptop and in-house
expertise, we were able to publish our own Web Site for the first time
After 7 years at Underhill Baptist Church, we said goodbye to Rev Dick Prior and his family,
as he took up a new Pastorate in Chatteris and, after a two year period of interregnum,
Rev Emmanuel Ntusi joined us with his wife Zama in November 2009
Rev Emmanuel Ntusi and his wife Zama came to us in 2009 (Their two girls, Isenathi
& Sinesipo, came along later!)
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Lunch 3rd June 2012
Our Queen marked her Diamond Jubilee with a 4-day weekend of events, between Saturday 2nd
and Tuesday 5th June. We celebrated in the Church and joined in with the local street party in
Elton Avenue (Shame about the rain). It was good fun closing off the road!
Cracks in the rear walls became too bad to pass an inspection and MAJOR works
had to be done incurring major building costs!
With much praying, fund-raising, gift(s) from
other local churches and interest free loans from
the LBA, the works were completed!
Unfortunately, the following year, the Contractors and Insurance had to be called back as a change in water levels at the rear of the church
had caused an unstoppable water leak to seap up from the floor in the toilets and corridor. The final solution was to lay a perforated
drainage pipe from back to front which was only completed at Easter 2015.
80th Anniversary 25th September 2016
Four previous Ministers celebrate 80yrs (Not THEM the Church!)
Rev David Morris; Rev Emmanuel Ntusi; Rev Eric Baldwin; Rev Dick Prior
After 11 years at Underhill Baptist Church, we said goodbye to Rev Emmanuel Ntusi and his
family, as he took up a new Pastorate at Coldharbour Lane and, after a year without a Minister
Rev Vania John-Baptiste joined us in July 2020
Unfortunately, due to the Corona Virus Lockdown in the UK, Rev Vania had to try to get to know
us and work around the Government Guidance at that time.
Corona Virus Lockdown
23 March 2020: Boris Johnson announces the UK’s first national lockdown. People may only leave
their homes for strictly limited reasons and the police are given powers to enforce the rules. The
furlough scheme was introduced by our Prime Minister (Rishi Sunak) and was broadly welcomed
as an important intervention to protect jobs during lockdown.
At first, we could continue to worship sitting 1m apart but then, when masks were advised, we
were instructed not to sing or even handle Hymn Books/Bibles! With the technology we had, we
were able to project Worship Videos onto the large TV Screen at the front featuring a variety of
Christian Artists singing the Hymns & Choruses that we were familiar with. As the Virus reached
its peak and people were dying in hospital, we were then not allowed to worship in public
gatherings. But, even older members of our congregation, adapted well to using the latest
“Zoom” Video Conferencing on their computers.
On 23 January 2023 , after a period of illness, Rev Vania John-Baptiste left us and after a short
time the retired Minister Rev Ray Thomas who had been worshipping with us for some time
agreed to lead us for the rest of the year as Interim Moderator.
Church, Friends and Community were invited to join in with the weekend of celebration
to commemorate the Coronation of King Charles III on Saturday 6th May 2023
The New Baptistry was installed into the new
staging underneath the side windows and the old
one decommissioned .... many hands made light
work on the day!
Rev Ray Thomas
Mach 2023
- April 2025
Go to End
2024
March 2024 Rev Ray Thomas (our Interim Minister) was invited to continue in his role for a further year as our Church Profile was
prepared for circulation on the Baptist Union Web Site.
“God’s Word is like Dancing Ribbons - full of life and grace, filling us with hope & joy”
We are thrilled to welcome the informal groups we now have at Sunday morning services …. Some, with their Carers,
sit comfortably at the back; Parents with small children use the use the Small Hall with music speakers from the main hall.
At the end of each service we all come together for a Family Worship song
Rev Martin Berry
May 2025
- Present
1st May 2025 Rev Martin Berry was invited to join us as our full-time Minister
We look forward to working alongside him and welcome him and his wife Sandra as we continue in God’s service at Underhill
Baptist Church.
2025
Saturday 7th June 2025 Rev Martin Berry was formally Inducted as our new full-time Pastor by our Regional Minister
Josh Kane
Our Regional Minister
Rev Josh Kane
Formal Induction of our New Minister
Rev Martin Berry with wife Sandra
New Front Doors to freshen up the Church (July 2025)
New UPVC Doors at Front of Church
(With extra Hinge and Thumb Lock Inside)
Our GOLDEN JUBILEE was celebrated with
a Jubilee Sports Day and a Flower
Festival at the Church
A belated Induction Ceremony at the end of our Pastor’s
first year.
BAD NEWS in August 2025 the parquet flooring in the Small Hall began to be pushed up to reveal extensive
cracks in the floor substructure, probably not covered by insurance! This, in addition to ongoing roof
problems, makes the future of the Small Hall an unknown quantity?